The Council of State in Belgium has annulled a permit for pumping groundwater due to possible damage to the surrounding nature. This ruling makes it more difficult to obtain permits for pumping groundwater for agricultural use.
The Council of State recently annulled a permit granted by the Antwerp region to the agricultural company Quirynen Agri Farming for irrigating cornfields near Turnhout. The Flemish nature organization Natuurpunt had appealed because of concerns about the surrounding protected nature, which is sensitive to drought.
The Council of State states that it has not been demonstrated that pumping will have no adverse impact on nature. This approach aligns with the recent nitrogen ruling, which also argued that something was not investigated and proven in advance. For Belgian agriculture, groundwater is becoming a critical factor following nitrogen issues.
Experts had given unfavorable advice during the consultation procedure, but this was wrongly ignored in the process, as has now been determined. According to the Flemish newspaper De Tijd, this groundwater ruling could have far-reaching consequences for other water abstraction points near protected nature. In this regard, it is already being compared to the much-discussed nitrogen ruling.
"The assessment of new applications will have to be stricter," predicts Flemish Minister of Environment and Nature Zuhal Demir (N-VA), "We are still investigating the status of current permits."